Steelers Finally Break T.J. Watt Curse

The Pittsburgh Steelers historically haven't fared well in games T.J. Watt hasn't appeared in, but they bucked that trend in Week 15 against the Miami Dolphins.

Coming into the contest, the Steelers carried a 1-10 record when Watt didn't play. Under the lights at Acrisure Stadium, however, Pittsburgh took control and cruised to a 28-15 victory over the Dolphins that improved its record to 8-6 and got it one step closer to clinching the AFC North for the first time since 2020.

There's always going to be some reservations about a team's performance when it doesn't have one of its top players, let alone a future Hall of Famer still at or near his prime with Watt, but the Steelers proved that they're still capable of performing at a high level when he isn't available.

Steelers Defense Shows Out

Dec 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Esezi Otomewo (93) celebrates after a defensive stop in the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Dolphins came into the night on a four-game win streak and thus were one of the hottest teams in the NFL who had suddenly found themselves back in the hunt in the AFC playoff picture, even if their chances of reaching them were always incredibly slim at 6-7.

Miami's run game was the focus, as it put up 239 yards on the ground in a 24-point victory over the New York Jets last week, but Pittsburgh kept it completely at bay.

The Steelers, who were tasked with containing one of the league's top running backs in De'Von Achane, limited the Dolphins to a measly 63 yards on 16 carries as a team.

Pittsburgh had allowed over 200 yards on the ground in back-to-back contests vs. the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens, so it's sudden prowess in stifling the run in cold conditions was a pleasant surprise.

Miami scored its two touchdowns in garbage time, and the Steelers came away with four sacks of Tua Tagovailoa while Asante Samuel Jr. picked him off in his first start for the team.

When Could Watt Return?

For as well as Pittsburgh played all around, there's simply no replacing a player of Watt's caliber, even if it has the likes of Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer rushing off the edge.

Watt was sidelined against the Dolphins after suffering a partially collapsed lung that was a result of a dry needling treatment he received at the Steelers' facility last week.

Though it was obviously an incredibly scary situation, the widespread expectation seems to be that Watt will return for Pittsburgh at some point this season.

There's been some conflicting reports as to when that'll actually occur, however, as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac stated that Watt could come back "sooner than anticipated" and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero hinted that a return vs. the Detroit Lions next week is within the realm of possibility.

ESPN's Adam Schefter, however, stated that it'll be "challenging" for Watt to receive playing time at Ford Field next weekend.

Whenever he does step back onto the field, though, Pittsburgh will be thankful to have him back after that scare.

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